Part 4 (1/2)

He also said he never reood a set of men in

All this is very satisfactory I ht to get the senior scholarshi+p next ter more I will add, to crown all, and that is, I find I am the next First Class Mathematical Student to Faussett (with the exception of Kitchin who has given up Mathe to leave) for the Lectureshi+p

On Deceree of Bachelor of Arts, and on October 15, 1855, he was made a ”Master of the House,” in honour of the appointment of the new Dean (Dr Liddell) who succeeded Dean Gaisford To be es of a Master of Arts within the walls of Christ Church But he , and be admitted in due form by the Vice-Chancellor, before he is a Master of Arts of the University In this wider sense Mr Dodgson did not take his Master's degree until 1857

This is anticipating events, and there is much to tell of the year 1855, which was a very eventful one for him On February 15th he was made Sub-Librarian ”This will add 35 to my income,” he writes, ”not much towards independence” For he was most anxious to have a sufficient incoht enter on the literary and artistic career of which he was already drea On May 14th he wrote in his Diary: ”The Dean and Canons have been pleased to give me one of the Bostock scholarshi+ps, said to be worth 20 a year--this very nearly raises e!”

His college work, during 1855, was chiefly taking private pupils, but he had, in addition, about three and a half hours a day of lecturing during the last terular staff of lecturers until the next year From that date his work rapidly increased, and he soon had to devote regularly aslectures, to say nothing of the ti extract from his Journal, June 22, 1855, will serve to show his early love for the drama The scene is laid at the Princess'

Theatre, then at the height of its glory:--

The evening began with a capital farce, ”Aith Melancholy,” and then careatest theatrical treat I ever had or ever expect to have I had no idea that anything so superb as the scenery and dresses was ever to be seen on the stage Kean was nificent as Cardinal Wolsey, Mrs Kean a worthy successor to Mrs Siddons as Queen Catherine, and all the accessories without exception were good--but oh, that exquisite vision of Queen Catherine's! I almost held my breath to watch: the illusion is perfect, and I felt as if in a dream all the time it lasted It was like a delicious reverie, or the most beautiful poetry This is the true end and object of acting--to raise the mind above itself, and out of its petty cares Never shall I forget that wonderful evening, that exquisite vision--sunbeael for: the coluradually down it floated, a troop of angelic for pal queen, with oh! such a sad and soleht be not profane) would real angels seeh doubtless our conception is poor and mean to the reality She in an ecstasy raises her arms towards them, and to sweet slow music, they vanish as marvellously as they came Then the profound silence of the audience burst at once into a rapture of applause; but even that scarcelywords of the Queen, ”Spirits of peace, where are ye?” I never enjoyed anything so much in my life before; and never felt so inclined to shed tears at anything fictitious, save perhaps at that poetical geust 21st he received a long letter from his father, full of excellent advice on the i money:--

I will just sketch for you [writes the Archdeacon] a supposed case, applicable to your own circu up histo do it, on an Inco him to appropriate it thus:--

s d

Invested at 4 per cent100 0 0

Life Insurance of 1,50029 15 0 Books, besides those bought in ordinary course20 5 0 _____________ 150 0 0

Suppose hi his:--

1 A nest egg of 1,220 readyand other expenses

2 A sum of 1,500 secured at his death on payment of a _very un to insure it

3 A useful Library, worth ht out of his current Incoe is one of Mr Dodgson's illustrations in _Misch-Masch,_ a periodical of the nature of _The Rectory Umbrella_, except that it contained printed stories and poems by the editor, cut out of the various newspapers to which he had contributed them Of the comic papers of that day _Punch,_ of course, held the foremost place, but it was not without rivals; there was a certain paper called _Diogenes_, then very near its end, which imitated _Punch's_ style, and in 1853 the proprietor of _The Illustrated News_, at that time one of the most opulent publishers in London, started _The Comic Times_ A capable editor was found in Edmund Yates; ”Phiz” and other well-known artists and writers joined the staff, and 100,000 copies of the first nulish Poets II ”Alas! What Boots--” Milton's Lucidas]

A the contributors was Frank Sh a confirmed invalid, and condeed to write several fine novels, full of the joy of life, and free fro He was one of those h above their bodily infirmities; at moments of depression, which come to them as frequently, if not more frequently, than to other men, they no doubt feel their weakness, and think theer ones in body, feel nothing but admiration as atch the splendid victory of the soul over its earthly coh Frank Sson became one of the contributors to _The Comic Times_ Several of his poems appeared in it, and Mr Yates wrote to hi wared hands in 1856, and was reduced to half its size, the whole staff left it and started a new venture, _The Train_ They were joined by Sala, whose stories in _Household Words_ were at that time usually ascribed by the uninitiated to Charles dickens Mr Dodgson's contributions to _The Train_ included the following: ”Solitude”

(March, 1856); ”Novelty and Romancement” (October, 1856); ”The Three Voices” (November, 1856); ”The Sailor's Wife” (May, 1857); and last, but by no ” (December, 1857)

All of these, except ”Novelty and Romancement,” have since been republished in ”Rhyme? and Reason?” and ”Three Sunsets”

The last entry in Mr Dodgson's Diary for this year reads as follows:--